Daily Digit: 68.5 million people are displaced due to conflict and natural disaster

Daily Digit is the story behind the numbers that make our world work. Today, we're looking at the historic number of people who have been forced from their homes by wars, persecution, and natural disasters. There are roughly 65.8 million displaced people worldwide; about 55 percent are considered to be internally displaced, meaning they have left their homes but still live in their countries. Those who do leave their home countries — refugees — usually don't go far, seeking safety in neighboring nations. Sixty-eight percent of refugees come from just five countries: Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan. Myanmar, and Somalia.